Caleb Durbin Homers, Swipes Two More Bases On Tuesday
New York Yankees infield prospect Caleb Durbin is scorching hot right now, at the plate and on the basepaths, going 3-for-4 with a home run, a walk, four RBI, three runs scored, and two more stolen bases in his latest Arizona Fall League game for the Salt River Rafters on Tuesday. The 24-year-old has his fall batting average up to .318 with a 1.006 OPS, but that's not the most impressive thing; a day after swiping four bags in a game, Durbin stole two more, bringing his stolen base count to an astounding 29 in just 23 games played. After leading the AFL in 2023 in steals with 21, edging out speedy St. Louis Cardinals prospect Victor Scott II who had 18, Durbin will easily earn the stolen base crown in the 2024 AFL campaign with a 17-steal lead over the next closest player. The former 14th-round draft pick has opened eyes, including that of Yankees skipper Aaron Boone, and with an exclamation point on this season, the right-handed hitter looks more and more likely to be on the big league roster come Opening Day.
Fresh off of a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League (AFL) Fall Stars game, New York Yankees infield prospect Caleb Durbin continued his push to be in pinstripes to start next season, going 1-for-2 and was hit by a pitch twice in Salt River's victory on Monday. Getting on base three times afforded him the opportunity to once again show off his wheels, stealing four bases in the contest and giving him 27 stolen bases in 22 games. Milan Tolentino has the second-most steals in the AFL with 11. On Monday, before Durbin's latest performance, Yankees manager Aaron Boone indicated that he expected Durbin "to play a big, big role for us this upcoming season." That should get fantasy managers' ears perked up, and should Gleyber Torres leave in free agency, there could be an even clearer path to playing time to begin the year.
The New York Yankees have high hopes for rookie infielder Caleb Durbin next year. "I think he's going to play a big, big role for us this upcoming season," manager Aaron Boone said. Durbin isn't listed by MLB Pipeline as one of the Yankees' top-25 prospects, but the 24-year-old could play an integral role in his MLB debut next year after hitting .287/.396/.471 with 10 home runs and 29 stolen bases for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last season. Not only did Durbin impress there, but he's tearing it up in the Arizona Fall League as well with a .934 OPS, four long balls and 23 stolen bases in 21 games played. Durbin can play pretty much anywhere on the infield, but second base figures to be his primary position at the next level, especially with Gleyber Torres potentially leaving in free agency this winter. The 24-year-old could start at the keystone on Opening Day if he impresses next spring.
New York Yankees infield prospect Caleb Durbin went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, two RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base in the Arizona Fall League's (AFL) Fall Stars game. The 24-year-old had a fine season at Triple-A, posting a .287-10-60-57-29 line in 82 games along with a higher walk rate (12.5%) than strikeout rate (9.9%). He's continued that success in the AFL, slashing .296/.416/.519 with four home runs and more stolen bases (23) than games played (21). All of this came off of a strong 2023 AFL showing in which he slashed .353/.456/.588 and led the circuit in stolen bases (21). Somehow, the product out of Washington University has yet to crack MLB.com's Top 100 prospects list or even the Yankees' Top 30, but at this rate the youngster should see the big leagues in 2025.
Caleb Durbin
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Yankees
